GRIDSERVE opens first public charging hubs for electric HGVs
Two motorway sites now offer high‑power charging for heavy‑duty trucks.
GRIDSERVE has opened two of the UK’s first public charging hubs designed specifically for electric heavy goods vehicles. The new sites, located at Extra Baldock on the A1 and Moto Exeter on the M5, mark the launch of the Electric Freightway, a project aiming to make long‑distance electric trucking a practical reality.
Both new hubs feature drive-through bays built for the largest trucks, avoiding complex manoeuvres and allowing rapid charging regardless of where a vehicle’s port is positioned. Each site includes a 350kW‑capable charger and has been engineered with swept‑path modelling and upgraded lighting to support heavy‑duty operations.
Electric trucks represent only a small fraction of vehicles on UK roads, yet the freight sector has an outsized environmental footprint. HGVs move nearly 90% of domestic goods but produce 16% of domestic transport emissions. The Electric Freightway, supported by the government’s ZEHID programme and delivered with Innovate UK, targets this challenge by placing high‑power public chargers where hauliers already operate.
Sam Clarke, who leads the Electric Freightway programme, said: “This is a proud day for the Electric Freightway and indeed for the UK. This is the start of a nationwide network for electric trucks as we support the decarbonization of the largest vehicles in road transport.”
To demonstrate real‑world readiness, GRIDSERVE and DAF completed a motorway run between the two new hubs using the XF Electric, including the upcoming 2026 International Truck of the Year model. GRIDSERVE CEO Daniel Kunkel noted: “Electric freight isn’t some distant future concept anymore, it’s a live, operational reality.”
With nine sites now either live or in development, the opening signals a meaningful shift for the freight sector as the UK approaches its phase‑out dates for non‑zero‑emission HGVs.
